Wednesday, March 31

If you are looking for a fun and relaxing activity for you and your dog, try Yoga... or rather Doga. I have never personally been to a class, but know a few dog owners who practice this regularly and just love it. This is not just exercising with your dog, this is a shared experience for the two of you. Some owners I've talked to love the calming effect it has on their dog, others really love the bond they feel it creates. If you would like to try Doga with your dog you can look it up in your favorite search engine for classes in the area or instructional video on the web.To see a video on this story bark on the link: Bark!

Tuesday, March 30

L.A. Downtown News just posted their "What's Up Downtown" newsletter. If you do not subscribe, I recommend it. It is a great way to find out what is going on in our neighborhood for the month. Everything from concerts at the Disney Hall to great burger deals. Please check out the events calendar link, it is a great way to support our amazing city.

Monday, March 29

As the weather gets warmer we must remember to think about our furry canine friends. Though 80 degrees may not seem that hot to us, it is for our dogs especially breeds with a lot of fur or larger breeds. There are a few simple things we can do to make exercise in the heat possible and safe for our dogs.

1. If your dog is in the car, make sure you are parked in the shade, all windows are down and there should be a fan on your dog. A cooling pad or bed would be a good idea as well. Your dog should not be left unattended in the car for more than a few minutes, if you are going to be on a long shopping trip at the mall or market, leave your dog at home.

2. When you take your dog out for a walk or hike or any other activity, make sure you have plenty of water for your dog.

3. After a walk, play session, hike or any other outdoor activity in addition to water you may want to put a cooling vest on your dog or have them lay on a cooling bed or pad.

These are just 3 simple ways to make your dogs more comfortable, there are certainly a lot more and we will cover more as the weather heats up. Remember, dogs with thick coats of fur we really must be sensitive to about the heat, keep a cooling pad ready to go.

Friday, March 26

The Sports Arena will host a hoped for 500 or more doctors, dentist, nurses and other medical staff from April 27 - May 3 to serve an anticipated 10,000 people. The announcement of this event came one day after President Obama signed the National Health Care Reform Bill. Officials speculate that many of the participants will be uninsured or have insurance that do not cover dental and vision. All medical providers and staff are volunteering their time. What a great event for L.A.!

Thursday, March 25

A new study in the UK has found that a majority of care homes and sheltered housing units do not allow pets to stay with the elderly and this is leading to noticeable symptoms of distress. About a quarter of retired people are believed to have pets, yet only 29% of the care facilities allow pets.

Wednesday, March 24

What a great story about friendship! I laughed and found tears in my eyes as I watched this unlikely duo playing, loving each other and just being the perfect example of friendship. I wish we humans could be as carefree and trusting as these two.

Monday, March 22

Those of you who have had the pleasure of owning or just being friends with Bassetts know how loving, fun and purely comical they can be. We have a couple of Bassett's that are long time clients and great friends, Miss Skarlett and Bomber. Besides being the two most loving dogs we get to care for, they are hilarious with their antics! Here is Skarlett trying out her new table scraps grabbing technique...

Friday, March 19

Dogster brought us a very funny story about Rear Gear for your dogs and cats. They look a little like air fresheners you hang in your car, but they are not. They are to cover the rear of your dog or cat. When we saw this blog, all we could think was, wow we now have everything for dogs and cats. Maybe we have gone too far. But as it turns out, this is not the latest trend, just a very funny novelty.

Thursday, March 18

We all know that we need more parks, but how would you like to help design one? There is a new park coming to the 400 block on South Spring and this evening you are invited to participate in the second design of the park. The park will not be done until 2011, but all of us Barker's can't wait to use it!

Friday, March 12

On March 08, 2010 the FDA announced that Nature's Variety Expanded a Nationwide Voluntary Recall to include all Raw Frozen Chick Diets with Any "Best If Used By" Date on or before 2/5/2011. http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/default.htm

Wednesday, March 10

Anyone that has ever seen a service dog in action or knows the training that goes into a service dog understands their dedication, loyalty, and complete obedience. So when I read this moving and interesting article in K9 online magazine (a UK based publication), I knew I had to share it with you. Check out the link below.

Friday, March 5

My good friend Toby moved to Paris with his family this past November. I have missed our walks, play time and nosework we use to do. Today I got an update that Toby is LOVING Paris. Here is a picture of him on a walk on the hill of Montparnasse just a short walk away from his place. I think he looks great, especially with the view of the Eiffel tower behind.

Despite how you may feel about dogs with disabilities, to see the life and love in sweet Feety's eyes has to be inspiring to all. Hopefully this will make you smile, especially if you are having a bad day.